New Section of Inca Trail Discovered in PeruPublished at 5:16 pm EST, July 10, 2012New Section of Inca Trail Discovered in Peru

Photo: New Section of Inca Trail Discovered in Peru

A section of the Peru’s Inca Trail was recently discovered in the Cusco region on the country’s southeast side after having been abandoned for about 500 years.

Among the surprising amount of orchids and flora, the new section was discovered by Peruvian archaeologists and will reportedly be available to visit in two years, after a research project is conducted.

The new section of the trail is about 1.7 meters (about 5’ 7”) wide, 4.3 kilometers (about 2.7 miles) in length, and was built using a retaining wall, rainwater drainage channels, and a paved platform. Archaeologists say about 70 percent of the trail is in very good condition with the rest having been damaged by vegetation and landslides.

According to Andina, the new section connects the Chakiqocha part of the trail with the Qantupata archeological site.